Our first Maker: HowToons plus Michael Chabon, making comics!

For comics fans and budding artists and writers, it doesn’t get better than this. It’s tons of fun to read and collect comic books, but the real joy is in making your own, and what better way to learn how than from the masters. Nick Dragotta is a Marvel Comics artist working on such titles as Web of Spider-Man and Captain America: Forever Allies; Nick is also the pen behind HowToons, which uses comics to teach kids how to build things, combining instructions with storytelling. Michael Chabon is the Pulitzer-prize winning author of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay (among many other amazing books), and the father of three Park Day Schoolers plus one lovely high schooler. Nick and Michael are teaming up on a workshop at the Mini Maker Faire, to make mini comic makers out of all our children.

Some of Nick's Work

This is just the first of many reasons you should put the East Bay Mini Maker Faire on your calendar for October 24th. You and your kids will get to see Michael develop a story and Nick illustrate it in real time, and then your kids will get to do the same with help from both these inspiring creators. You’ll develop a character and learn how to tell that story using the tools of the graphic medium. Since it’s the week before Halloween, perhaps you can take your creative work over to our Halloween costume booth afterwards, and become your character!